[cosmos-dev] Cleaning up code for v1.0

[Ruth Lee <ruthdaly@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi team,

Before we release 1.0 in June, we need
to ensure that our API follow the Eclipse Guidelines for a Release as documented
here: http://www.eclipse.org/projects/dev_process/eclipse-quality.php

A couple of key points that I got from
that document:
"Note that the API
(Application Programming Interface) is the entire public programming surface
of the framework, thus it includes not only Java classes, packages, and
interfaces, but also extension points, file formats, generated meta-data,
and even objects that are passed through to internal packages." 

and
 "Incomplete
APIs are those where the project wrote the code before defining the APIs
and thus the documentation and/or test suite is incomplete, but the project
intends to support the API. Incomplete APIs may appear in milestone releases
(although the lack of documentation will make it difficult for the plug-in
developer community to adopt and verify those APIs), but Incomplete APIs
must not appear in releases. "

And I have to make a retraction. I cannot
find a statement on the eclipse web site that states that code must be
supported for two years after we release it. I must have remembered incorrectly.
The only reference that I could find to a particular number of years was
to a 2005 document, which is superceded by the document that I mentioned
first in this email. http://www.eclipse.org/projects/dev_process/Eclipse%20Quality%20APIs%20v2.pdf
(Search on the phrase "support promise" to see the relevant sections.)


I interpret the first document as stating
that any API released in COSMOS v1.0 must be maintained until we release
v2.0, whenever that is. 

--Ruth.


Ruth Lee
IBM Toronto Lab
ruthdaly@xxxxxxxxxx
T/L 313-4453